title: Prevalence of broad-host-range lytic bacteriophages of Sphaerotilus natans, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
abstract: Two bacteriophage collections were examined with regard to their ability to form plaques on multiple bacterial host species. Nine of 10 phages studied were found to be broad-host-range bacteriophages. These phages fell into two groups. Group 1, the SN series, was isolated from sewage treatment plant samples with Sphaerotilus natans ATCC 13338 as a host. The DNAs of these bacteriophages contained modified bases and were insensitive to cleavage by type I and II restriction endonucleases. The efficiency of plating of these bacteriophages was changed only slightly on the alternate host. Group 2, the BHR series, was isolated by a two-host enrichment protocol. These bacteriophages were sensitive to restriction, and their efficiency of plating was dramatically reduced on the alternate host. Our results suggest that a multiple-host enrichment protocol may be more effective for the isolation of broad-host-range bacteriophages by avoiding the selection bias inherent in single-host methods. At least two of the broad-host-range bacteriophages mediated generalized transduction. We suggest that broad-host-range bacteriophages play a key role in phage ecology and gene transfer in nature.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, College of Saint Benedict, Saint John's University, Collegeville, Minnesota 56321, USA.
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Schrader
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rieland
authors.forename: T L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: K W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: K W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Nickerson
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Kokjohn
mesh_terms: D001435:Bacteriophages / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000821:virology*; D006088:Gram-Negative Aerobic Bacteria / Q000821:virology*; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000821:virology*